Portable structure



1940- cs. THOFEHRN ET AL 2,187,436

PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 14, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 16, 1940. G. THOFEHRN ET AL PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 14, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2' Jan 16, 1940. F H N ET AL 2,187,436

PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 14, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jaremar Patented Jan. 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE STRUCTURE.

Georg Thofehrn and Heinrich Rauchholz, Berlin, Germany Application November 14, 1936, Serial No. 110,912 In Germany November 14, 1935 2 Claims.

Our invention relates to portable structures such as tent barracks, hangars, and the like.

It is an object of our invention to provide a structure of the kind described, which is easily and rapidly erected and taken to pieces, and which is ready for immediate use when erected.

To this end, we provide a plurality of portal frames which we build up of separable units. The portal frames are equipped with suitable bracing means such as tie rods extending between their bases, and are connected and braced with respect to each other by detachable members, and these members, in turn, are connected and braced by other detachable members, to make upon a structure which is quite rigid although comprising so many components.

The structure is equipped with a fabric which is arranged between the frames, i. e. within the structure. The fabric inside the structure has two advantages. Firstly, the portal frames whose units are normally lattice-work girders, are exposed at the top and the sides of the structure, and break up any flow of air in the longitudinal direction of the structure. Secondly, a gust of wind penetrating into the structure forces the fabric against the portal frames and the bracing members from below and the fabric is efficiently retained.

It is another object of our invention to provide a closure at one end, or atboth ends, of the structure which, while affording efflcient protection, yet is readily moved out of the way when required.

To this end, we arrange at that end where the curtain is positioned-or atboth ends of the structure-a pair of parallel cables which are secured to the structure at their upper, and anchored at their lower ends, for instance, in a suitable sill, and on the two cables we suspend the curtain by means such as annular members which slide on the cables and are secured to the curtain. Halliards are connected to the curtain for raising and lowering it. Obviously, if the structure is so wide that it would be inconvenient to provide a single curtain all over the width, we provide a plurality of curtains of such width that they can be handled conveniently.

Other objects of our invention will appear from the following specification, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which structures em,- bodying our invention, and their details, are illustrated more or less diagrammatically.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a partial end elevation of the improvement.

Figure 2 is a detail plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail diagrammatic side elevation, illustrating the inside structure of the improvement.

Figure 4 is a detail enlarged side view of a portion of one of the portal frames.

Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the frames.

Figure 6 is a detail central section taken through Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a detail section on the line VII-4711 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail section on line VIII-"VIII of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a section on the line IXIX of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 5, the structure is equipped with any desired number of portal frames, five of which are shown at I, 2, 3, 4, 5, in Fig. 5. Each portal frame, as best seen in Fig. 2, has a pair of support units 6 two of which, and four roof-girder units 8, 9, only are shown, it being understood that the units are exactly duplicated at the other side of the frame. The units are connected by any suitable means, not shown, permitting ready assembling and taking to pieces of the portal frames. Such means may be screws or joints of any suitable kind. They have not been shown since they are old in the art.

Obviously, the portal frame may be built up of any desired number of separable units. The size of the individual units is determined by considerations of weight and ease of handling.

By way of example, the units have been shown as lattice-work girders of triangular section, but it is understood that we are not limited to this type of girder.

- Preferably, the structure is made of light metal, this term including light-metal alloys, as obvi-- ously the components of the structure are easier to handle when of low weight, but again we are not limited to any particular metal or alloy. For instance, steel may be used instead of light metal or alloy.

The lower end of each support 6, is mounted to slide in a base plate, as will be described later,

, and the two base plates of each portal frame are connected by a tie rod or the like. The upper ends of the supports are held by suitable guys lG whose upper ends are attached to the supports and whose lower ends are pegged, or otherwise secured, to the ground. v

The individual portal frames are connected by detachable longitudinal members or bars I! which, in turn, are connected by transverse members i8,

ill

here shown as tubes. It is understood that the longitudinal members may also be tubular. The connection is shown more fully in Fig. 4. As mentioned, the units are preferably girders of triangular cross-section. Fig. 4 shows that this section is very favorable for connecting the longitudinal bars or tubes ll! to the units. The units are built up of three channeled beams to which the-preferably tubular lattice bars are riveted or soldered. The two beams at the base of the triangle are equipped with eyes 19 in which hooks 2i: at the ends of the longitudinal members ii are inserted. Similar means: not shown,

may be provided as the detachable connection of the transverse members It and the longitudinal members [1.

By the means described, we obtain a structure which is quite rigid as its individual components are all positively connected. The components themselves are light and easy to handle, and their connections are simple and readily fastened and unfastened.

In operation, the components of the structure which, as mentioned, may be a hangar for airplanes, are carried to the field on suitable cars. Few cars only arerequired as the components are light and can readily be stowed on account of their smallness. The cars, due to their light loads, can run on any ground and are not confined to good roads, as heavier cars would be. A definite system is followed in loading the cars, each car carrying the components and strips of fabric'ior one or more bays of the structure. In situ, each car is driven to the station which corresponds to the position of the parts it carries, in the finished structure. By these means, the erection and taking to pieces of the structure is much expedited.

When the structure has been erected, fabric M is hauled up from the ground below the portal frames to immediately below the frames, as will be described. The structure which has been illustrated may be a hangar for airplanes, and the portal frames project freely from the roof and the sides of the hangar and, as mentioned, break up the flow of air along the hangar. As this hangar is rather wide, its curtain is subdivided into five individual curtains, one, 2 I, at the centre, and two more, 22 and 23, at the left, and other two more, 24 and 25, at the right of the central curtain 2 l.

The portal frames of this structure will now be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 'i.

The lower end of the supports is equipped with a skid mounted to slide in a baseplate 2% on a board or other weight-distributing member placedon the ground. The base plate of the opposite support which is quite similar, is connected to the base plate 25 of the support 5 by a tie rod 28.

The side elevation, Fig. 7, shows the skid at the lower end of support 6, and the beams and lattice bars of which the support is built up. It also shows the means for bracing the bays between two supports, being horizontal tie rods 29 at the top and the bottom of the bay, and a pair of diagonals 30.

- The fabric 3! is subdivided into webs whose width is equal to the pitch of the portal frames, and normally about 20 feet. The lower ends of the Webs are pulled out between the portal frames, and weighted with heaps of sand or other material 54, Fig. 8.

The means for connecting the webs of the fabric and of the curtain or curtains, and the end is preferablyturned over toafford complete 7,

protection against wind and rain. Registering thimbles are inserted in both members of the ,flange, and lacing 53 is drawn through the thimbles, as shown in Fig. 10. To support the seam at the inner end of the flange, ropes 56 and El are sewn. to the webs 3la and 3Ib transversely with respect to their edges and equipped with eyes at their ends through which lacing 52 is threaded. Preferably, several strands, of lacing are used to connect the ropes so that the seam can be hauled tight when the connection becomes slack through transverse stretching of the webs.

Two parallel cables 34 and 35 are arranged in each portal frame at opposite sides of its central plane. The cables extend from a bracket 33 at the base of the support 6 through to another bracket at the base of opposite support. This other bracket is quite similar to the bracket 33 and so has not been illustrated. The eyes of the cables are connected to the brackets by lacing It threaded through the eyes of the cables, and through holes in thebracket, permitting tighthauling when a cable has become slack. The leech ropes 32 are connected to the brackets by similar lacing 88, also designed for tighthauling.

Annular members 36 are secured to each leech ropeai and placed over the corresponding cable 3 3 or 35 on whichthey are free to slide. By these means, the webs aresuspendeol from, and guided. on, the cables which are parallel to their edges.

The means for hauling up the fabric it will now be described. It should be noted that when the structure has been erected, the cables 34 and 35 are threaded through the annular members t6, the cables and leech ropes are anchored in the brackets 33 at both sides of the structure, and the edges of the webs have been connected as shown in Fig. 9, the fabric lies flat on the bot tom of the structure'ready for hauling up.

At the angles of the structure, and at suitable intermediate positions, shackles 3i are suspended which engage about the cables 34, 35 and are con-v pulleys 45, M3, and 41, and a clamp 400: are provided for the intermediate shackle 31b and the topmost shackle 310,- respectively. Obviously, the

means which have been described for the left portion of the portal frame, are duplicated for the portion at the right which is not shown.

When the fabric has been hauled up, the cables and leech ropes are hauled tight.

When the fabric has been hauled up, and the cables and ropes have been hauled tight, the ends of the fabric are pulled out and weighted, as shown in Fig. 8. Gusts of wind have no tendency to lift the fabric from the portal frames, but, on the contrary, force it up toward the inner faces of the fraines. When any one of the components becomes slack, re-tighthauling is easy. The lengthening of the fabric and the ropes is about equal, and that of thesteel cables 34%, 65 is negligible as against that of the fabric and ropes. The rings 36 slide easily on the cables and do not interfere with the tighthauling of the fabric. At

the same time, the rings prevent sagging of the A halliard 6D is attached tothe frame at 6|,

and passes down, about the two pulleys 56 of the yard 55, and then up again to'the pulley 51 and to a winch or the like, not shown. When a pull I to the left is exerted on the halliard 60, the curtain is hauled up. Less power is required, and the curtain can be hauled up byv hand, if the halliard is arranged as follows: From 6|, where it is attached to the frame, the halliard 60 descends to the pulley 56 at the right of the yard 55, then ascends to a pulley positionednear the point 6| of attachment, moves horizontally to another pulley above the pulley 56 at the left of yard 55, down to that pulley, and up to pulley 51 whence it is taken out of the structure.

Similar means, not shown, are provided for operating the other individual curtains.

The means for guiding the curtain are similar to those described for guiding the webs of the fabric 3|. Two parallel cables are provided, only one of which is shown at 62. Leech ropes63 are sewn to the curtain near its edges, and rings 64 secured to the leech ropes slide on the correis quite similar to the web-hauling one, only the brackets 31 on the webs are replaced by the yard 55 at the lower end of the curtain 23.

Each cable 62 has an eye at its upper, and another eye at its lower end. The upper end of each cable is suspended from the portal frame by wires or the like 65, and its lower end is connected to a shackle 61, 68 which is anchored in a sill 66 by a stone bolt 69. Each leech rope is connected to a stone bolt H in the sill 66 by a detachable ring 12.

At its upper end, the curtain 23 is tightly connected to the fabric 3|. A strip 131s attached to the fabric from below near its end, and this strip is connected at its lower end to a turned-over portion at the upper end of the curtain by lacing such as 55 in Fig. 10. The end of the fabric covers the strip connection with an extension. The extension is, at its lower end, connected to a flap 14 on the curtain by a suspension member 75. The extension is supported by a member I6 whose upper end is securedto the portal frame. By these means, a tight connection is effected at the upper end of the curtain.

When it is desired to haul up the curtain, the rings l2 which hold the leech ropes 63 are removed, and the halliard 66 ispulled by hand, or by a Winch. If the width one of the individual curtains lays open between the cables 62, is sufiicient for admitting the air plane or the like which is to leave or to enter the hangar, the cables 62 are left as they are. If, however, a wider clearance is required, one of the cables 62 is detached from its anchoring point at the sill 6t, and the adjacent cable of the curtain at one side, or the other side, of the curtain which has been hauled up, is also detached. The two cables are then connected by a halliard, not shown, which moves about a pulley at the upper end of a support 6 or i. By pulling this halliard, the two cables which have been detached, are hauled up together.

The weighting of the fabric by sand, as shown in Fig. 8, would not be convenient with respect to the curtains. Therefore, we arrange a wind guard in the shape of a board or flap 1! which is hinged to the front edge of the sill 66 at 18. The free end of the wind guard TI is preferably out out for the cables 34, 35. When the curtain has been lowered, the wind guard is turned up and placed againstthe curtain with its upper end. When it is desiredto haul up the curtain, the guard is turned down and laid flat on the ground. The guard will perform its function of deflecting the flowing air in upward direction without its free end being cut out.

We claim:

1. In a portable structure of the kind described, separable units of light construction making up a plurality of portal frames, a fabric suspended within the structure in the immediate vicinity of the portal frames, bracing means connecting the bases of each portal frame, members detachably connected to the portal frames and to each' other, for bracing theportal frames with respect to each other, end portals at the ends of the structure, each end portal supporting a. plurality of curtains, and cables anchored to the structure and to the ground for guiding the individual curtains.

2. In a light-metal portable structure of the kind described, a plurality of portal frames built up of separable units of triangular cross section, each portal frame comprising a pair of members each consisting of a support and a roof girder including an obtuse angle, the two members being arranged to be connected by the inner ends of their roof girders, so that such roof girders include an obtuse angle at the center of the frame, members detachably connected to the portal frames and to each other, for bracing the portal frames with respect to each other, and a fabric suspended within the structure in the immediate vicinity of the portal frames.

HEINRICH RAUCHHOLZ. 

